


The Dark In Us

by Take_Me_To_My_Fragile_Dreams



Series: The Dark In Us [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - Psychopaths, Alternate Universe - Serial Killers, Armin is a great friend, Asphyxiation, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Cock Rings, Crimes & Criminals, Criminal Eren Yeager, Criminal Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eren makes the safe and sane part very hard, Erwin is questionable, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Gun Kink, Hitman Levi, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Knifeplay, Levi tries to keep it safe sane and consensual, Lots of sex basically, M/M, Many Kinks, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Painplay, Praise Kink, Psychopathology & Sociopathy, Psychopaths In Love, Scars, Secret Identity, Serial Killer Eren Yeager, Serial Killers, Torture, abuse is not in relation to Levi, friends that kill together stay together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-05-20 16:43:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14898218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Take_Me_To_My_Fragile_Dreams/pseuds/Take_Me_To_My_Fragile_Dreams
Summary: Levi had always done his best to stay away from the man known as Bright Eyes, but when he's betrayed during a hit, he has no other choice than to seek out help. Caught in a contract and unable to escape from the killer he finds far too magnetic, Levi finds himself questioning whether it would really be such a bad thing to give his life over to another.(aka the hitman!Levi x serial killer!Eren au no one asked for)





	1. Bloodstained Hello's

**Author's Note:**

> this was originally an rp I wrote with my best friend. It is, to this day, still my favorite rp and I decided that I might as well try and turn it into a regular story. With that said, this is my first time attempting this so the flow might be a little off at times. 
> 
> (it's also 200,000+ words, so buckle up for a loooonnggg ride)
> 
> PLEASE heed the tags! This story can be very dark at times. As Eren is a serial killer and Levi is a hitman, there will be very descriptive torture scenes in the future. I'll leave a warning at the top of each chapter but read with caution if that sort of stuff bothers you.

A soft, whistled, tune pierced through what would otherwise be the quiet of the basement. Of course, the term basement was simply a cover to steer away wandering curiosities. Regular basements weren’t stocked with medical equipment—nor were they as startlingly sterile.

In the criminal underground, most could not afford the luxury of visiting a civilian hospital. There were too many questions; too many ways to get caught. Instead, criminals either got by on their own, or visited one of the few doctors that kept office hours open to the more… undesirable side of the public.

Dr. Grisha Jaeger—more commonly known as Dr. J—ran the most popular criminal hospital just below the surface of his house.

It was a rather simple system, really. Patients came and went, as was common in the criminal underground. Those that came to him, were treated and sent off as right as rain—unless, of course, they were unable to meet the deadline for their fee.

Eren Jaeger, Grisha’s only son, was far from innocent when it came to his father’s extracurricular activities. Known to the public as a college student majoring in both Criminology and Medicine—and with outstanding honors in both—the criminal underground knew Eren to be a terrifying attack dog, one that went by the name Bright Eyes. Not that he had picked the name.

To their neighbors, they were perfect citizens. It was laughable, really.

Eren wheeled an empty IV over to an equally as empty hospital bed. As disappointing as it was for Eren, the room had been cleared of their latest patient mere hours before. The woman had been incredibly funny, and had known everything that was going on inside the underbelly of the city. She had paid all of her debts off in one go, too, which rarely happened.

Though, of course, there would always be more. Some would be smart, and give them the money they were owed. Others… would simply be punished.

"I don't have the money, spare me! Yada, yada, I love lifeeeee…" Eren grinned past the mockery. It was always so satisfying to pop a bullet in the heads of whiny people. Out of all of them, he hated the beggars the most.

One last look around at the room deemed everything to be in place. It was only a matter of waiting now.

He trotted up the stairs, and into their actual house. The door was locked behind him, before Eren crossed the kitchen to pop his head into the living room. "Papaaaa, I finished cleaning the basement.”  

Grisha was sitting in his usual, leather armchair. Papers were spread out on the coffee table in front of him, and in his lap sat his computer. He barely gave notice of Eren’s words, save for a brief grunt of acknowledgment.

Seeing that there would be no further conversation there, Eren hummed and headed upstairs. If he was being honest, at first glance his room looked perfectly normal. It was large, as were all of the rooms in the house. A neat desk sat against one wall, while a large bookcase ate up the entirety of another. His bed was big enough for at least four people—not that Eren ever took anyone home with him. A large screen TV sat across from his bed, a few feet away from a closet that was bigger than his actual bedroom.

All his room truly said about him, was that he lived a life of luxury. Unless, of course, someone looked beneath his bed. There, one could find numerous guns, a baseball bat, and several cases of various knives.

The door closed quietly behind him. Eren crossed the room to take a seat at his desk, where his textbooks were arranged by class. He opened the first, with the intent of spending the evening working ahead for his studies. There was a reason he was an honor student, and it was never certain when the next patient would come. As his father worked at the hospital for most of the day, it would be up to Eren to take care of the basics, such as food and checkups.

Besides, the further ahead that he worked, the more time he would have for extracurricular activities. Not that his were very normal.

* * *

Well into the night, the sound of a doorbell rang loud throughout the otherwise quiet house. Eren snapped awake within seconds. He knew very well what that sound meant; they had a new patient.

He jumped out of bed. A shirt was snagged on his way out the door, though he didn’t bother with exchanging his shorts for pants. He met his father in the hallway, who was wearing a bathrobe.

“Get them inside. I’ll prepare the equipment.”

Eren didn’t bother with more than a nod. He rushed down the basement stairs to unlock the door leading out into the tunnel connected to the house. They couldn’t have criminals coming to their front door, after all, or so his father said.

On the ground was a man. Makeshift bandages were wrapped around one of his shoulders, though they looked to be doing a poor job. There was already a pool of blood staining the dirt floor of the tunnel.

Eren reached down to hoist him up before dragging him inside. A hiss left his lips at the strain. He managed to haul him onto the surgery table, though he was unable to steer clear of the blood. Not that he minded—Eren had always liked the feeling of blood on his skin.

His hands were cleaned quickly. The scissors were picked up to make quick work of what remained of the man’s clothes. Once he was left in nothing more than his underwear, Eren got to work on gathering the tools he would need to assist his father.

Grisha met him halfway, hands already cleaned and gloved. They knew what to do without much conversation. Eren took the shoulder wound, while his father treated the lower two. It was obvious very early on that the man had lost too much blood. Soon enough, he was attached to an IV, though it seemed to do little to help reduce the man’s abnormally pale complexion.

It was a miracle he had gotten so far. The bullets had clearly been made to incapacitate.  

"This one's a fighter." Eren whistled as he fished the bullet out of their patient’s shoulder. "He's hot, too." It was obvious that the man was well built—and even through all the blood and dirt, Eren could see that he had a handsome face.

Grisha clicked his tongue. "Focus, Eren."

Eren pouted, though he fell silent as he adjusted the second IV. Once they were done, they put the man on one of the beds near the wall. Eren added some more painkillers to his saline solution. The time and dose was jotted down on his clipboard. It would be up to Eren to check on him again in a few hours, though Eren was betting that he would probably be unconscious until morning.


	2. Reality

When Levi awoke, it was to a dark room. His mind was alarmingly foggy, and a dry swallow left his mouth feeling like a ball of cotton had been stuffed inside. It was hard to remember where he was, or how he had gotten to such a place, and with a jolt he realized he had no clue.

When he shifted, he became startlingly aware of the fact that there were wires and tubes connected to his body. An attempt to feel along the needle in his arm had Levi stiffening beneath a wave of pain.

That was right. He'd been shot.

His fingers twitched against the mattress. As hooked up as he was, he was unable to feel around without displacing something. Levi ignored that fact, and set off an alarm in the process when the strap on his finger fell off. A pat down of his body told him that he had been bandaged.

The fact that he was awake was a good sign, though he was suspicious of being left in a dark, unknown room. He hadn't meant to come here. It had been a last resort sort of thing. Hanji, his normal doctor, had disappeared a few weeks ago on some sort of mad scientist chase, and he'd been left with no choice but to come or to die.

Then again, no one came to the Jaeger house willingly, unless they were dying.

After what felt like hours of sitting in the dark, the light in the room went on. A man with warm brown skin walked in, clad in nothing but a loose shirt and a pair of shorts. They had never met face to face before, but one look into those startling green eyes and Levi knew exactly who he was dealing with.

Dr. J’s son. Known as Bright Eyes amongst the criminal underground, and Eren Jaeger amongst civilians.

 Levi couldn’t help but feel a bit like a pinned bug beneath those eyes.

“You're alive, good.” A lopsided grin tugged at Eren’s mouth as he walked up to Levi. He hooked the missing strap back onto Levi’s finger, and eased the wail of the alarm. “I would ask for your name but I already know it. Levi, right? Love your work."

Levi blinked sluggishly. He was still drugged and a bit out of it, much to his chagrin. Even still, his hands twitched for the weapons that weren't there. He was never one to trust strangers. "I know who you are too," he said slowly. He grimaced at the hoarseness of his voice. "You make a lot of messes."

Eren's grin widened as he jotted something down on his clipboard. "I'm flattered, and yes, I like making messes." He put down what was in his hands to check on Levi's wounds. "I'm impressed you made it here, you lost a lot of blood."

Levi’s jaw clenched when the sting of pain came to him through the drugs. Eren was being less than gentle. "You get impressed easily?"

He seemed oddly pleased at the fact that Levi had chosen to suffer in silence. "That's a secret."

“Well damn, afraid I'm too tired for diggin' for secrets," Levi drawled. "You got any water, Bright Eyes?"

Eren giggled at Levi's reply, and turned around to grab some water for Levi. "I sure do, and it's free, too." He said cheerfully. "Please just call me Eren, it'll sound sexy coming from you." He checked the IV to make sure it was still functional. "Does it hurt anywhere?"

"I've got three holes in me, sweetheart," Levi muttered. He was probably being a bit more ungrateful than he should have been. In his defense, he was drugged and on edge without a weapon or familiar face. He took a slow drink of his water, and winced when he had to use the arm attached to his shot shoulder. "those parts are bound to hurt."

"Ohhhh, he's got bite." Eren cooed. There was an oddly amused look on his face as he watched Levi struggle with the cup. "I was asking because I'm not allowed to give you any more painkillers right now, and I enjoy seeing people in pain."

Levi didn’t get a chance to try to figure out if he was joking or not. Grisha entered the room and fixed his son with a look. "Eren, stop playing with the patient." Grisha gave Levi a smile, though it wasn't a welcoming one. "Just dropping by to confirm your condition, we can talk finance in the morning."

Levi didn't let any of his inward emotions show in regards to that statement. He'd be dead in an instant, he wasn't a fool. "Hey, bright eyes," his eyes were fixed on the door the doctor had disappeared behind. "how long I got until I can shoot?"

"Well, I would say two weeks, but the best would be to wait longer." He paused, and followed Levi's gaze. His eyebrows raised on a grin. "I hope you're not thinking about shooting my father. Many have tried that; I don't recommend it. It always ends with a mess."

"No," Levi dragged his gaze back to Eren. "Just miss the metal in my hand."

Eren regarded Levi for a few long moments. His lips curled into the first, somewhat genuine, smile. "I know the feeling." He said, as he finished with his check-up. "Unfortunately for you, you're going to have to wait."

"Yeah?" Levi couldn't help but be curious. "You ever been badly injured, bright eyes?"

Eren paused in his movements. His head tilted to the side, as if debating what he wanted to tell Levi. He whistled one long tone as he made a gun with one hand. He pointed it at himself, before he gave another grin and dropped his hand. "Push the button next to you if you need anything, and don't get out of that bed, or I'll have to beat you back in." The words were cheerful, as if he was looking forward to an escape attempt for that exact reason.

Levi raised an eyebrow, though he said nothing as he watched him go. The doctor was uninteresting, flat and easy to read. His son on the other hand, was more unhinged. Levi knew the stories, of course, but he'd never gotten close enough to see. Eren was… interesting.

Levi sighed, and settled back down to rest. He supposed he wouldn't be getting food for a while.

* * *

After his introduction with Levi, Eren was able to sleep until morning. He grumbled a bit when his alarm went off, though he got out of bed all the same. He really wasn't feeling like university today, but, unfortunately, he had to keep up his perfect attendance record. In order to keep up appearance, he put on a black button up shirt and skinny jeans. He wished he could just attend university in a crop top and booty shorts, but alas.

He sighed as he stepped into his dress shoes. He grabbed his book bag on his way out of his bedroom. He left it by the front door for later, and then got to work on breakfast. Once Eren was finished, his portion was eaten first, before he brought Levi his own plate.

He unlocked the basement door after he gave a round of loud knocks to the hard wood. "Knock knock! Better not be masturbating in there." He sang, before turning on the light.

Years of trained awareness awoke Levi instantly. He squinted against the sudden burst of light. "How the hell am I supposed to masturbate when I have a shot arm and wires attached to me?"

"Oh believe me, people have found ways. Don't worry though, we change the sheets." He handed Levi his plate before he got to work on checking his vitals.

"Sorry, sweetheart, don't get my rocks off on dreary doctor's labs."

Eren giggled at Levi's words. "Not even when the cute nurse comes to visit you?" He gave a playful pout.

"Somehow I get the feelin' getting off on you could be a death sentence," Levi said, with a wrinkle of his nose.

A grin slowly spread over Eren's lips. His eyes shone with something that could be read as either playful or menacing. "I've always fancied a nice game of Russian Roulette." He drawled. "Especially during sex, but that's another story entirely."

"Of course you have. Why am I not surprised?” He picked up a piece of toast, though he shot Eren a curious look when the change in dress finally registered. " You goin' somewhere?"

Normally Eren would have simply lied, but he was feeling generous today. “University. Speaking of which, I have to leave now. Try not to miss me too much." He blew Levi a kiss before he headed upstairs. The door locked behind him.

* * *

The trip to school was as dreadfully normal as always. The same route, the same straight laced people. His usual seat was beside his best friend, Armin, who was also studying medicine. They were sat towards the middle, which meant that there was little to stop them from passing the lecture with idle chatter.

He listened quietly to Armin’s lament of his most recent crush, though he would rather be doing anything but. It wasn’t that Eren didn’t like Armin, because he did. He just didn't like romance—or anything that people their age liked, really. He'd never been interested in relationships; a textbook psychopath, if you will. He'd rather have a good fuck with a gun to his head, or a hand around his throat, but if he told Armin that his friend would probably direct him to a therapist immediately. "Why don't you ask her out?" Eren asked, to keep up the image of interest.

"I don't think she'd want to go out with me," he admitted with a sigh.

"Well, you won't know if you don't ask, right?"

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He looked down at his textbook, and tapped his pencil against a page. "Sorry for talking about this, I know you don't really like relationships."

"It's alright. Just because I don't like them, doesn't mean I can't cheer on my friend." He smiled brightly and pinched Armin's cheek playfully.

Armin’s eyes rolled. He swatted Eren's hand away gently. "Yeah, maybe I will one day. Did you have a late night? You look kind of tired."

"Couldn't sleep." He told Armin with a sigh. "I'm alright though, I'll just sleep some more after school."

"You look like you need it," Armin agreed. "You shouldn't push yourself too hard."

"Thank you, Ar." He said with a smile—a genuine one this time. Not that Armin would notice the difference. Eren didn't really get attached to people or things often, but he didn't want Armin to die, so he supposed that said something.

"Hey you're studying medicine too," Armin teased lightly. "You shouldn't need me to remind you of basic health."

Eren snorted. "Have you seen half the people in this lecture hall?" His eyebrow raised as he gestured to their classmates. “They’re all zombies.”

"It's the fault of the school system," Armin sighed. He looked up as the professor ended the lecture, and began gathering his materials. "I'm almost jealous that you can go home. Online classes seem so nice when you have three more to go."

"I'm sorry, you should come by again sometime soon." After he had put everything back in his bag, he heaved it onto his shoulder and followed Armin out of the room.

"Sure," he agreed with a small smile. "You always cook the best food."

"Oh I see how it is, using me for my food." Eren buried his face in his hands with a dramatic gasp and peeked out at Armin through the gap between his fingers. His lips pressed into a thin line in an effort not to laugh.

"Not just your food," Armin mused, just as playfully. "Your bed is pretty comfy too. And you're a nice study partner when not distracted."

"Everything but my bright personality, I see—how could you be so cruel?"

Armin laughed. He reached over to tug one of Eren’s hands away from his face. "You know very well that I love that too."

"Aw, Armin, you make me want to kiss you." He pulled his friend closer as he pursed his lips. They were making a scene, but both ignored it. By now, everyone around them was used to their antics and left them alone.

Armin's eyes rolled. "I'm not your type, Eren."

Eren paused his assault and let Armin go with a smile. "Oh, you seem very sure of that. Tell me then, what's my type?"

"You like someone dangerous, even I can see that. Bad through and through. Which is a bit concerning when I think about it," Armin mused. "But anyways, I have to go—don't want to be late. Go get some sleep, okay?"

Eren’s eyebrows raised as he watched Armin go. He hadn't expected his friend to be so spot on. Sometimes he forgot how perceptive Armin was. He'd gotten a bit too relaxed around him, now that Eren thought about it. What if he slipped up one day? It was exhausting enough to pretend he was normal; he didn't want to deal with Armin finding out too.

Eren let out a heavy sigh and headed towards his car.


	3. Glass Houses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: there is parental abuse towards the end of this chapter

On the outside, the house looked empty when Eren returned. His father worked long hours, and wouldn’t be back until late that night. Which meant Levi was his responsibility for the rest of the day.

He left his bag on the kitchen table, before he made his way over to the basement stairs. The bleary look Levi shot him when the lights came on told Eren that he must have been dozing. There were black circles under his eyes; a telltale sign that the pain was getting to him.

"Hello, sunshine. How are you doing?" Eren popped open the first two buttons of his shirt. He grabbed a syringe to add the next dose of painkillers into Levi’s IV.

“Just fine," Levi groused. He sat up with a grimace. "You never mentioned where the bathroom was."

"It's right there,” Eren pointed to the door across the room. He put down his equipment, in case Levi needed assistance. Which he obviously did. “need me to help you up?"

"From the state of my leg, yeah.” Levi detached himself from all the wires. He pushed up off the bed, body stiff with pain. Still, he didn't make a noise as he took Eren’s arm.

Eren huffed at the strain of Levi’s weight. "You're really fucking heavy, you know that? Are your abs made out of steel or something?" They paused outside the bathroom door. “Need any help in there, too?" He asked with a grin.

"No, I think I've got that under control," Levi said dryly. He let go of Eren to grasp the wall instead. He closed the door behind him and did his business. A moment was taken to recover from the strain of walking on his injured leg, before he exited to take Eren’s arm once more. "You're pretty helpful, bright eyes."

He shrugged. “You're lucky I like you. I'm not always this nice." Once they had reached the bed, he helped Levi lift his legs back up. He sat down on the edge once they were done.

"The mess you seem to leave behind speaks for that," Levi muttered. He settled back against the pillows with a sigh. "What happens when you don't like someone?"

Eren's eyes twinkled. He bit his lip. "What do the stories say?"

"Never really listened," Levi admitted. "I try not to let rumors sway me. I just know you make a mess and you've got a foot in both worlds.”

"I'm disappointed." Eren pouted, though it didn’t last very long. The expression morphed into a cheerful grin. "The stories say that those who don’t meet their deadlines beg to die after a few minutes with me. The stories say that if you can't pay you should shoot yourself before I come over for the house visit." He brushed some hair back from Levi's eyes, movements slow. "They also say a man who fucks me is never quite the same after." His thumbnail ran over Levi’s cheek before he stood. "Of course, they're only stories. Who knows if they're true."

“And how many of those stories did you start, sweetheart?" Levi asked flatly. He gave no outward reaction to Eren’s touch, face set in his own stubbornness. Instead, his eyebrows raised.

“Oh, only the one that says that you die instantly when looking into my eyes." Eren decided that he liked it when Levi called him sweetheart. His drawl turned him on a little, as well. "People believe it, too. I've had some patients that refuse to look me in the eye."

"Figures.” Levi snorted. “And the stories about me?"

“Ah yes, the stories say you're the hitman who's never missed a shot," he drawled. "I sure wonder if it's true, and how you managed to get shot if it is."

Levi's eyes went cold. His fingers twitched for a trigger that wasn't there. "Someone made a mistake," he sneered. "it'll be their last."

"Watch out, babe, your true colors are showing." He grinned as he looked Levi up and down. Fuck did that murderous look get him going.

Levi focused those cold eyes on Eren. "You don't look like you care."

Eren bit his lip. His pupils expanded with lust. "Oh, I definitely like you like this." His grin grew rather wicked. "Civil is boringgg."

"Oh?" A slow smirk curled over Levi’s lips. He gave a beckoning crook of his finger. "Says the one playin' civil."

Eren moaned softly. He crawled up, onto the bed, until he was hovering over Levi. He took Levi’s finger between his teeth, as his tongue darted out against the skin. "Oh, but you know what happens when I'm not playing civil."

"I do.” Levi’s eyes darkened with something other than violence.

Eren gasped as a hand caught ahold of his hair to wrench his head back. His eyes fluttered closed for a few brief moments as arousal ran hot through his veins.

"Careful, bright eyes," he said into Eren’s ear. "your father might see."

"You think he doesn't know?" Eren murmured. He raised an eyebrow as his eyes darted first from Levi's lips, to his eyes, and then back.

Levi hummed. He shifted slightly, until his nose was just barely brushing against Eren’s jaw. His free hand ran over Eren’s side, despite his injury. He paused at Eren’s mouth and maintained the shortest distance between their lips. "I'm injured," he finally said. His hands released Eren. "I'm not exactly up to par with your level of expectation at the moment."

Eren pouted, but knew Levi was right. He leaned in to press a kiss to Levi's cheek, before getting off the bed. "I like you,” he decided. “I'm glad you didn't die."

"High words, comin' from you."

"You should be honored, there's only a handful of people I'd rather see alive than dead." He ran a hand through his hair before he turned around to clean up the equipment he’d used.

"I believe it," Levi muttered. He shifted into a more comfortable position. "How old are you anyways?"

"I'm what men call, barely legal." He said with a smirk. "I'm 20." He took out a vial of liquid, and prepared a shot for Levi. "I'm going to give you something to help prevent infections."

"Go for it, sweetheart." Levi sighed. "I'm so bored that that almost doesn't sound too bad."

Eren chuckled. "Do you want me to inject it slowly or quickly?"

"Surprise me."

Eren held Levi's arm still as he injected the needle in one swift motion. He pushed the stopper down slowly. He’d always found it satisfying to see the liquid disappear. It was even better when the patient whimpered, but he didn't expect that from Levi. That was alright. The tightening of Levi’s jaw, as well as his stubborn silence, was sexy too.

"What year are you in?" Levi asked when Eren was done. He nodded to Eren’s college dress to indicate what he’d meant.

Eren discarded the needle before putting a hello kitty Band-Aid over the wound. "I'm in the third year of my bachelor." He told Levi. "But my dad taught me everything I need to know, so I'm ahead of my classmates."

"I suppose no one was suspicious of that, considering your father." His lips quirked upwards ever so slightly at the Band-Aid. "So how does this work, bright eyes? Do I stay for another two weeks or are you gonna kick me out?"

Eren hummed. He tapped his chin as he jutted a hip. "Well, we'll keep you here for another few days so we know you're recovering properly, and when we kick you out you get a price and a deadline."

"I'm almost curious to see what you do when someone doesn't make a deadline," Levi murmured.

Eren's lips curled in amusement. "Be careful what you wish for." He sing songed.

Levi snorted. "As fun as bein' tortured sounds, I think I'll stay on your good side for now. Though, who knows? Maybe one day I'll want to go out with a bang. I hear you're good at that."

Eren giggled. He helped Levi prop himself up by adding some pillows to the ones already behind his back. "You flatter me. I'm sure you'd be fun to torture." He looked Levi over. "All silent glares, refusing to make a sound. I wonder what it'd be like when you break. No begging, I presume... Rage? You'd probably sling insults at me. Screaming with eyes filled to the brim with hate. I could be wrong, of course."

Levi gave a smirk that was more cynical than anything else. "You're not wrong. But then again, I'm a bit foggy on that sort of thing. Tends to happen when severe pain and blood loss comes around. There's only one person still alive who has ever tortured me—maybe he could tell you."

"Should have a chat with him." Eren grinned. "He must have been lousy at torturing if you left him alive."

"It was just business," Levi said flatly. There was a bitter curl to his lips, and anger in the tense line of his jaw. "He's an asshole. Good luck lookin' him up." Levi gave Eren a once over. "He'd probably eat up someone like you. You'd be lucky to get out of there intact. Probably chain you up in one of his fancy houses and keep you as a rabid dog."

Eren's eyes flashed with something dangerous when Levi uttered the words 'rabid dog'. His grin faltered for a moment, as his face lost the playful edge he’d kept for so long. It was gone a few moments later, however, and the grin was back. "Watch it, honey." He drawled, though the warning still stuck faintly. "I'd make him fall in love with me and destroy him from inside out until there's nothing he wouldn't do for me." He'd done the same thing so many times. Eren knew how people worked. He knew exactly where to pry, what buttons to press. He'd made psychopaths feel compassion.

Levi sighed. "That's what they all say.” His head tipped back as he closed his eyes. The action bared his throat, and showed off the scar that cut across the fragile flesh there. A bit stupid considering who was sitting beside him, but Levi would be dead in an instant if Eren really wanted him gone. "Until they meet Erwin. He makes you think you're in control, that you can break him. He's a fuckin' rat with a silver tongue, and he'll off you as soon as it suits him."

The name came with a surge of recognition. Erwin had done some business with his father. Eren had seen him once or twice before, but he’d set himself up blandly, to make sure he didn’t interest Erwin. He could recognize one of his own, and it would be a hassle if Erwin wanted him. "I've met him, actually. I agree it wouldn't work on him, you can't fight fire with fire."

“Smart.” His eyes slid open on a slow sigh. He stared up at the bland ceiling, with an almost lonely expression on his face. It was obvious that Levi wasn't good at staying still. "Hey, bright eyes," he said tiredly. "got any more food comin'?"

"In an hour or two." He told Levi. Eren straightened at the realization that he was spending more time with Levi than he should. "I'll bring some magazines down with me too, so you have something to do."

His words were met with silence. Eren climbed the stairs and shut the lights off behind him.

* * *

As the one that was home most often, meals were usually Eren’s responsibility. He alternated between watching the chicken in the oven and studying, while he waited for his father to come home. The table was set and ready when Grisha came through the door. Eren poured them both a glass of water while Grisha settled into his seat, before he joined him at the table.

“How is our patient?” Grisha asked, after a pause.

“Stable,” Eren said. He gave a small smirk as he picked up a piece of chicken. “Being shot hasn’t dulled his looks, that’s for sure.”

He was fixed with a hard look. "Eren, don't flirt with the criminal."

Eren pursed his lips. "But he's hot."

"I don't care, Eren. Don't make things complicated.” Grisha took a long drink. “You know he's well-known. Don't put yourself in the spotlight."

"He's not that well known." He muttered. He just barely contained a flinch when his father slammed his fist against the table top.

"Eren Jaeger! Do as I say and stop your whining."

Eren swallowed. He let the topic drop, and focused on his food instead. They ate the rest of their dinner in oppressive silence. When Grisha was done, he got up to disappear into his study. Eren cleaned the table before he grabbed Levi's food.

* * *

Levi was still dozing when Eren came back, though the sudden brightness of the lights had him shooting upright in an instant. It was clear that Levi regretted the action immensely as soon as he'd done it. "God fuckin—" He let out a hiss as the the hand belonging to his uninjured arm clutched at the bandages on his stomach.

"Good reaction time, not a good idea to sit up though." Eren grinned. He walked over to Levi and pushed him back down. "Don't open those wounds again. It took an annoying amount of time to close them."

"Wasn't plannin' on it," Levi muttered. He gave his body a baleful glance. "Do I get to see them yet?"

"Better keep the bandages on for a bit longer, I'll take them off tomorrow." He handed Levi his food, before he bent down to check his bandages. When he was done, he leaned against the side of the bed.

"How bad were they?" Levi asked. He ate slowly despite his obvious hunger. Eren got the feeling that he had known what it was like to go without.

"Pretty deep." Eren reached out to open one of the drawers near the bed and handed a little ziplock bag to Levi. Inside, there were three cleaned bullets. "To keep as a souvenir.”

“To put in the head of a rat," Levi corrected. He paused in his eating to eye the bag critically. "I'm touched you cleaned them. Feelin' sentimental?"

"Don't go feeling special now,” Eren smirked. “I always clean the shit we pull out of people in case we need it for analyzing.".

"I wouldn't dream of it," Levi drawled, before he set the bullets aside. His head tilted, regarding Eren as the other male watched him back. "What's so interestin'? Got somethin' on my face?" He lifted a hand to trace it over the rough skin of his jaw. "Hate to break it to you, but it's just a scar. Not all of us got pretty skin like you."

Eren giggled. He shook his head. "I wasn't looking at your scar. Just wondering what makes you tick, is all."

Levi raised an eyebrow. "Tryin' to, what was it? 'Destroy me from the inside out'?"

"Nah, you're interesting enough when not driven mad." He told Levi. "Besides, the destroying happens after the other's in love with me."

“I'll keep a tight handle on my heart then," Levi said dryly. He flicked a pea at Eren's forehead. His aim was proven true when it hit dead center. He smirked as he held up a mock finger gun. "Bang."

Eren let out a dramatic gasp. He collapsed against the bed. "How could you shoot this fair maiden?" He pouted. Eren sniffled, as if he was about to cry. "After all I've done for you..."

Levi allowed himself a chuckle of amusement. "Allow me to fix my mistake," he said gravely. He reached over to wipe the smudge of green off of Eren's forehead. "Sorry, princess."

His eyes twinkled playfully when they next opened. "As your princess, I'll forgive you for now."

“I am touched by your majesty's kindness." Levi tapped Eren's nose once, before drawing his hand away. "You know, you really should—"

Eren stared at him in befuddlement for a few long moments. “I should what?”

It wasn’t until his father’s voice sliced through the sudden quiet of the room, that he understood why Levi had stopped.

"Eren," Grisha said, from the base of the stairs. "Get over here." When it looked like his son might protest, his voice raised. It cracked through the silence like a whip. "Now, Eren!"

Eren froze at the tone. He straightened up, grin faltering. It was obvious why Grisha was angry. He hadn't listened to his father; he'd flirted with Levi anyway. Now he was going to pay the price.

The walk over to where his father stood was slow. His lips pressed together tightly in an effort to keep smiling. Eren had always said that there was no man that could tame him, but, ironically, he lived under a roof with the only one that could. "Now now, don't scream, papa."

"Get up those stairs," Grisha ordered. "You can do that, can't you? Or are you so busy getting on your knees for patients that I need to drag you up by your hair instead."

Eren's lip curled into a snarl at the words. He stormed past his father to stomp up the stairs. Once they were upstairs, he turned to his father and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.

Grisha didn't even bother saying a word. He backhanded Eren.

Armin had said that he was jealous of Eren’s online classes, but Eren wondered if he would still be jealous if he knew what sorts of loopholes they gave his father. Grisha knew that by the time he went back to school, the bruise that followed would have already faded.

He watched coldly as Eren's lip split in the corner. "I told you not to play games with him and what did you do, Eren?"

Eren didn't react to the pain. He always felt nothing when his father hit him. Instead, a numbness would spread slowly through his veins, and stick around for days. Not even sex could fix it.

He was a psychopath by the book. The superficial charm, the lies; his narcissism, sexual deviancy, high IQ; the absence of anxiety or fear in general. No feelings ever ran deep, nor did they touch the blackness inside his mind. Yet it was this emptiness that would stick to him like a glue that didn't want off his skin.

He felt blood trickle down his chin. He didn’t move, head still tilted to the side. "I played games with him." Eren repeated.

"I have every inclination to keep you away from him for the rest of his stay," Grisha seethed. "If it weren't for the hospital keeping me so busy, I would. What don't you understand about your outside persona being important? Did one of your many partners fuck you stupid?"

He paced the room as he continued ruthlessly. No chance to speak was given to Eren.

"If you focused more on your studies and less on being the next neighborhood slut, you'd already have graduated by now. Go to your room and don't you dare come down until the morning. The next time you see our guest you had better show some decorum." With that, Grisha spun on his heel. He stalked down the hall, and disappeared from view. The door to the study closed with a slam.

Eren stood there for a good minute, before casting his eyes downwards. He felt anger bubble up inside him, but it was too far away to make a difference. What did his father care if he got straight A's? What did his father care if he was seen as the perfect boy next door? What did his father care that doing the man's dirty work cost him more study time than being the 'neighborhood slut' ever would? What did it matter that he was no such thing; that he had high standards. Of course, it wasn’t as if his father cared that this was the first time in months that he was interested in one of their patients.

Grisha was like a field full of landmines. One minute, Eren could do no wrong, and the next, there was no right in the world that he could possibly do. If Eren were to go up to his father now and tell him that he had cured cancer, Grisha would probably say 'took you long enough.'

He stood there for a few more minutes, until the blood had started to drip onto the floor. Finally, Eren forced his legs to move. He wiped the blood from both the ground, and his chin. Once he’d discarded the towel, he headed up to his room.

He didn’t bother with his still bleeding lip. Instead, he collapsed onto his bed. Eren’s eyes closed to the darkness around him, and he willed himself to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grisha is a dick, pass it on


	4. An Act of Kindness

Eren awoke to find his father had left for work early. He made Levi's breakfast almost systematically before bringing it downstairs. He flicked on the light switch on his way, and walked over to Levi’s bed to hand him the food. There was little light left in his eyes. Instead of his normal, witty greeting, he simply stared at Levi, unsure of what to say.

Levi barely seemed to notice the food. Tired eyes locked onto Eren’s face, and the blood still dried there. The bruises beneath Levi’s eyes had deepened. "He hit you," he said, though it was not a question. Levi frowned as he shifted to the side. He made to pat the free space he'd made, before hesitating. "Is he gone?"

Eren sat down on the space Levi cleared for him. "He's at work now." The corners of his mouth twitched into a faint smile. "What did you expect? No sane man could raise someone like me."

"Insanity is no excuse for abuse," Levi said flatly. "Especially not from parents." He stared at Eren for a few long moments, before with a grimace, he began to detach himself from the wires around him. He pushed himself up, and off the bed with a stagger. "Stay there," he told Eren, before he could get up.

Levi did not trust Eren, did not think that they would even be considered acquaintances at best, but still he would do this for him; in return for all his help.

Slowly, Levi made his way to the bathroom on his own. He grabbed one of the hand towels by the sink and wet it in warm water before making his way back to Eren. When he reached the bed once more, Levi could feel the telltale wetness that told him his leg had started bleeding again. He ignored it as he turned back to Eren.

A hand underneath his chin tipped Eren’s back. With the help of the towel, Levi cleaned the blood from Eren's face. "You're filthy," he chided, though the words were not harsh. "You're a doctor aren't you? This isn't even cleaned." He set the towel down when he was done. His other hand traced the bruise on Eren's cheek. It had been a hard hit, but nothing was broken.

"You're weird." Eren murmured, when he could think of no other response. He watched the bandage on Levi's leg soak with blood. He signaled for Levi to get back on the bed so he could attempt to make it stop bleeding.

"How charmin'," Levi drawled. His face was drawn and pale as he laid back down. "I suppose it's not the worst thing I've ever heard."

The smile that curled Eren’s mouth stayed longer this time. He cleaned his hands before he got to work on Levi’s leg. "You sure have a way with words."

"Also been told that," Levi nodded. He blinked through the dizziness that washed over him. "Hey, bright eyes, could you hand me the water?"

Eren reached over and handed Levi the glass from the bedside table. He cleaned and bandaged Levi’s wound, before giving a soft sigh. "Don't stand up anymore until I say you can."

"Take care of yourself and I won't have to," Levi countered. He lifted the glass up to take a slow drink.

Eren’s eyes rolled. He wasn't in the mood for banter. He wasn't really in the mood for much of anything, actually. Eren knew he shouldn't linger, either, since his father had already told him that he didn’t like it.

"Does he have cameras in here?" Levi asked. "Any way to monitor you?"

"No, we'd be fucked if the house was searched."

It was the dead look in Eren’s eyes that spurred Levi’s next words. "Will you stay a bit, then? I'm bored out of my mind down here."

Eren's mouth twitched as he looked over at Levi. "Sure."

The part of Eren that told him to obey his father clawed at his insides, but it wasn't bigger than the numb part of him that didn't give a shit. What he really needed was to do a house visit— killing never failed to make him feel alive. Alas, the closest patient deadline wasn’t for another two weeks.

"So, princess," Levi said, as he finally dug into his food. "What do you do every day besides school and the torture of whoever does your dear old dad wrong?"

The nickname brought a bigger smile to his face. Eren made himself comfortable on the bed. "School, running this room, and torture takes up most of my time, really. When I'm not doing this I might fuck or kill—or both. I might also read a book, or hang out with people from my university."

"Sounds like rainbows and sunshine," Levi drawled. He paused to savor the eggs Eren had made. "Do you cook all this too?"

"I do. I always cook." He felt a flash of nausea wash through him as he watched Levi. A cold sweat broke out on his skin. Eren grit his teeth against it as his hands clutched at the edge of the bed. He had to swallow down the urge to vomit as his eyes fixed onto the wall in front of him.

Levi looked over when Eren continued to be uncharacteristically silent. He frowned at what he saw. "Princess?" he checked. "You okay?"

Eren’s hands shook against the mattress. He closed his eyes. Of course it would happen again. It always did. The nausea, the sweating… he knew it would all stop if he left Levi now. However, he also knew that the next time he tried to fight it, it would become even worse—just as it always was when he disobeyed his father. Eren was never quite sure if it was guilt that caused the sickness, or something that Grisha had managed to do.

Slowly, his symptoms grew worse, to the point that talking hurt. "Fantastic." He snapped. Eren’s headache was piercing; it felt like someone was hitting his head with a shovel. Everything was foggy and his body hurt all over. The room spun as he dry heaved.

Levi's eyes narrowed at the attitude. He set his empty plate aside before reaching over to guide Eren's head down. "Breathe." He instructed, as he grabbed his glass. "I have water if you can stomach it."

Eren let Levi push his head down without a fight. He shook his head at the offer. There was no way he could stomach anything when it was taking everything in his power not to vomit. Levi's hand felt nice and cool on his head, which was burning up. "Fuck—fuck fuck _fuck_."

His skin crawled as Eren tried to remember the symptoms of internalized guilt. Did it produce fevers and stabs of pain? Eren couldn’t remember. Thinking hurt.

"It's alright," Levi murmured, though he was rather conflicted. In their current position, it would be so easy to kill Eren—or to at least incapacitate him and leave. Grisha wasn't home and he could either flee through the tunnel or wait for him to come back so he could slit the bastard's throat.

Levi's fingers twitched.

Still, he was too weak. His wounds weren’t healed enough to get very far on his own. He had no quarrel with Eren, either, and would prefer not to hurt him—at least not unless asked to. Levi gave a deep sigh as he cupped the back of Eren's neck. He was burning up.

Levi picked up a corner of the blanket covering him. It was a simple sheet, which meant it was easy to rip a long strip of it off with his teeth. He wet the makeshift cloth and draped it over Eren's neck. "Just focus on your breathin'. If you throw up on me you're helpin' me shower.”

Despite his condition, Eren's lips twitched up into a smile at Levi's comment. He laid down beside Levi. He couldn't stay up, even if his head was down. Eren tried to remember how long the first time usually lasted, but he couldn't recall.

"Good," Levi murmured. "Lay on your side so if you do throw up, you don't choke." When everything was settled, Levi carded his fingers into Eren's hair. He'd noticed he seemed to like that. "You're havin' a rough couple of days, bright eyes."

Eren closed his eyes. He didn't really like letting other people see this part of him, but he could always kill Levi if Levi began to see him as weak because of it. "I suppose." He was usually quite neutral towards that sort of thing. There were no good or bad days. Every day was just that, 24 hours.

The bruise on Eren's cheek was facing up at Levi. He couldn't help but trace it. "This happen a lot?"

"Depends on what you call often, he has moods. One second he loves me and the next he despises me." He didn't like talking about his father—or himself in general. He felt like he was giving away too much.

"I was talkin' about the sickness," Levi said softly.

"Oh." Eren giggled. The sound grew into a full-blown laugh, until his entire body was shaking with it. His laughter filled the basement, yet, somehow, it still managed not to sound one bit joyful. "Oh this? It happens when I don't obey my father."

Levi frowned. "He brain washed you?"

"I can never really remember. I think he tortured it into me." Eren sounded far too amused for the words that he was speaking. He felt the fever go down—a sign that the worst was over. The sickness would happen a few more times with every continued act of disobedience, but the intensity would lessen.

"What an asshole," Levi muttered. He wet the cloth around Eren's neck once again. "I’m surprised you haven't killed him."

Eren looked up at Levi curiously. The possibility had never crossed his mind. After all, he loved his father. At least, as much as a person like him could love. The fact that he was Grisha's was ingrained in him so deeply that he had never questioned otherwise. He was his father's to use as he pleased, and that was how it had always been. "You really are weird." He murmured, as he sat back up.

"Because I'm surprised you're stayin' with an abusive father?" Levi’s eyebrow raised. He shook his head. "Scratch that, I'm not surprised at all. Happens all the time."

Eren hummed. “Well, I think I've done enough damage to my image for today." He gave a grin as he took off the rag around his neck. "Don't be mistaken, dear. The only one who gets to lay a finger on me and live to tell the tale is my father." He hummed a tune as he headed out of the basement. A wave was thrown over his shoulder.

"Damn, there go my plans," Levi muttered under his breath.

* * *

In his following visits, Eren grew even more unpredictable. His words were either biting or tinged with the almost-insanity that had had Eren laughing hysterically over the idea of his own torture. He was rougher when injecting Levi, or treating his wounds. Eren made him walk on his leg more than he had previously, and with little help. His eyes lit up when Levi showed any sign of pain, even if it was just the clenching of his jaw.

If his survival hadn’t depended on it, Levi would have taught the little shit a lesson long ago. As it was, he played nice.

When almost a week had passed, Eren seemed to fluctuate between murderous and playful. It was less than ideal when Levi had to rely on him for care. The time came for his IV to be removed, and when Eren did so none too gently, Levi had had enough.

He stared at the blood dripping down his arm, born from the hole Eren had ripped wider. Slowly, he met Eren's eyes with silent fury. "Ow," he said flatly, though there was an unspoken threat there. A warning for Eren to stop pushing him. Eren might be a pretty face, but that had never stopped Levi from kicking someone's ass before.

One side of Eren's mouth pulled up. Soon, the other followed, as he broke out into a lopsided grin. "You look angry—are you angry? Are you going to kill me?" His face lit up with what could have been excitement. His eyes shone with something all too dangerous. "How are you imagining doing it? Oh, tell me? Please, I'm curious.”

At Eren's eagerness, most of Levi's anger disappeared. He had no time for suicidal idiots—especially not insane ones. "I'd strap you to this bed and leave," Levi muttered. He gave an eye roll. "For Christ’s sake kid, you're practically salivatin’. Go get laid or somethin’."

Eren huffed over Levi’s denial to play. "Alright, if you say so."

He looked up when Grisha entered. His father sat at the small desk in the corner, and pulled out a binder. He barely waited until Levi had sat down across from him before he started talking. "We've logged everything in here. You can look it over if you want. The total sum is at the bottom. You have two months to pay after you sign the contract."

Levi read through the contract carefully. He had to sign it, of course, otherwise Eren, who was practically vibrating behind him, would make more than a mess with his body. He just wanted to be sure he didn't overstep any lines that would send Eren chasing after him. That would be annoying.

"Got it," Levi said, before signing in his messy scrawl. The price was high, but then again, he had expected that. He would make do.

 "Woo." Eren grinned.

Grisha put the contract back into his binder. "Please show him out, Eren." He shook Levi's hand before he headed back up the stairs.

Eren walked over to the door leading out, into the tunnel. He opened it and made a tada motion. "Are you going to kiss me goodbye? I promise I won't bite."

"Somehow, I don't think a kiss with you is goin' to end up bein’ just a kiss," Levi said, though he couldn't deny that he had eyed Eren plenty in his current outfit. Who wouldn’t? He was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and some thigh highs, with a skimpy top. "Especially not when you're like this."

Eren grinned. He leaned down to press a kiss to Levi's cheek. His hand slipped a piece of paper with his number written on the front into Levi’s pocket. "Like this, then." He murmured.

Levi's eyes rolled. He knew full well what Eren was doing.

Not one to be fucked with without returning the favor, he slid a hand over Eren's hip. Levi let his fingers linger over the small slip of skin left exposed there. "Careful, bright eyes," he said into Eren's ear. "I'm not nearly as nice when I don't depend on your care to survive." With that, he pressed a kiss to the skin behind Eren’s ear. He gave a little wave over his shoulder as he slipped away.

Eren leaned against the doorframe as he watched Levi go. His grin did not fade from his face. Levi played his dirty games right back and he loved it.

When Levi was out of sight, he closed the door. If Eren had more feelings, he probably would’ve been sad to see Levi go. As it was, he'd see him pretty soon, anyways. Eren always checked up on old patients to make sure they hadn’t forgotten about their debt.


	5. Money and Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize as I post this that I wrote in every story but this one that there would be a pause in updates until I started uni again due to themoonshalldie visiting me. Unfortunately, he has gone back to europe, and responsibility has come back to haunt me.

In the weeks following his release, Levi settled back into his routine. As soon as he’d left the Jaeger household, he gathered what few things he had and moved into a new apartment. As a hitman, Levi was always packed to leave. After his near death experience, he didn’t trust anything that he’d once thought was safe.

Next came therapy. He loosened his muscles with slow stretches, and practiced shooting until he deemed himself job ready. It was after this that he resolved himself to do something that he hated. Capable as he was of getting jobs on his own, high paying jobs were easier found through Erwin. Levi wanted to be out of debt as fast as possible, so he sucked it up and told Erwin that he was taking hits again. It wasn't long before he was on another job—though this one was a bit of a pain, if he was being honest.

Levi found himself cursing Erwin—not for the first time—as he pretended to drink the cocktail in front of him. He was clad in leather from the hips down. There were heeled boots on his feet—the gay boots, Hanji had called them. Levi hadn't exactly disagreed, though men and women alike liked to see him in them. His top cropped short across his chest and covered his arms, giving him some semblance of decency. Around his neck was a thick collar with a lock—it was something that his hit would more than enjoy, the bastard. Levi was practically sneering already.

Eyes rimmed in black scanned the dim club he'd scouted, and focused on his target across the room. Levi had been waiting to see if he would move away from his group for a few hours now, and was growing irritated with the man's stillness. Patience was part of the job, but goddammit leather was hot and he was tired of being ogled and grabbed at.

Someone flopped down beside Levi. It was only due to his boredom that he actually took notice. Levi raised an eyebrow as he met familiar green eyes.

Eren grinned at him. The expression faded as he took in what Levi was wearing. "What the hell are you wearing?" He sneered at the collar around Levi's neck. “Please don't tell me you're doing the ‘seduce your hit by wearing flashy clothing thing.’" Eren scoffed as he took a drink. "I thought you were a better hitman than that. Dissapointingggg."

Levi's eyes rolled. He wasn’t at all surprised to see Eren. Though his number sat on Levi’s desk, untouched, it had only been a matter of time until Eren tracked him down regardless. "I'm a good enough hitman that I'm not above dressin’ up," he answered flatly. He gave Eren a bored once over. "Don't go holdin’ me to your ideals, it'll only disappoint you more."

Eren gave a long sigh as he twirled around on his barstool. Despite his almost careless actions, he looked wound tight and ready to blow. Levi had no doubt that someone would die tonight. "That makes no sense, shut up."

Levi's eyes gave a slow roll. "Tell me, sweetheart, who's better? Someone who holds themselves to the ideal that they're 'better' or 'above' doin’ somethin’ for a kill, or someone who will get the job done? Because it isn't the first."

"It's called an opinion, _sweetheart."_ He shot back, as his nails tapped against the bar. They were painted pink, and matched his top and skirt. “Anyway, I've got a date, so good luck with mister disgusting over there." He gestured to the man Levi was staring at as he stood up from the seat.

Levi gave a flat smile. “Don’t get too carried away." He met Eren's eyes, and gave him a cold look. "Your murder is showin’. Try not to make too much of a mess."

Eren grinned. He tapped Levi once on the nose before turning around. He disappeared into the crowd, and left Levi to his own devices once more. Levi sighed as he turned back to his drink.

As if the fates had felt his sanity slipping away, his target finally moved. "About time," he muttered under his breath. He moved quickly through the crowd, and placed himself against the wall, where he was sure the man would walk past. Levi hunched his shoulders and cast his eyes to the ground. He crossed his arms over his bare stomach and played the role of the nervous first timer with a fucking A if Levi did say so himself. His target took the bait, just as Levi had known he would.

“You look nervous, doll, is this your first time?”

 Levi forced himself not to sneer. Instead, he nodded. “I was supposed to meet my friends, but they ditched me. I think I might just call it a night; I don’t really think I fit in here.”

“Nonesense!” A hand waved in dismissal as his hit—John Rivers—moved closer. “You look gorgeous. Why don’t I take you to the back and show you the good time your friends denied you?”

Levi flashed a nervous smile. He put a look of confliction on his face, and hesitated when John held his hand out. “I don’t know that I should…”

“I insist,” John implored. “You’ll have fun, I promise.”

Levi acquiesced. He followed John down the hall, and to a room that had, truthfully, seen better days. As soon as the door had locked behind them, Levi wasted no time in making it clear just where they stood. Leather was constricting but it didn't stop him from kicking the asshole into a chair and strapping him down. "Don't believe every act you see," Levi told him, when he saw the look of shock on John’s face. He wagged a finger at him chidingly before as he gagged John with his own shirt. "It'll get you into trouble."

With his target secure, Levi rolled his shoulders and reached up to take off the infuriating collar around his neck. He pulled a needle and vial from the slits cut into the inside, and held it up for John to see. "See this? This is the end of your filthy fuckin' existence. You pissed off the wrong people and now you're goin' to deal with me." Levi gave a savage smile as he attached the needle to the vial. "I'll let you in on a secret, John: no one wants to deal with me. Now I can be kind. You tell me what I want to know and your death will be painless. If not, well," he shrugged, and shot a bored look down at his nails. "I have no problem dirtyin' my hands with your blood."

John’s pale face and terrified eyes said it all.

Levi's smile widened. It was good to be back.

"Now then," he said, before he pulled the gag free from John’s mouth. "Let's get started, shall we?"

A couple hours later found Levi with not a spec of evidence on him, and John dead in bed from a massive heart attack. No one would think that the wounds on his body had been anything other than sexual. John was known for his cruelty.

Levi’s eyes scanned his surroundings as he stalked out into the back alley of the club. He let out a soft sigh when a cool breeze swept over his sweaty skin. He wasn't surprised to see Eren waiting for him, though he eyed the mess he'd made with some disapproval. "Made a mess I see."

Eren grinned over at him, and blew a wave of smoke out into the night air. His ‘date’ laid slumped against the wall—if he could even be called that anymore. The skin of his torso had been ripped and peeled off in most places, and there were organs strewn about the pavement. His heart appeared to have been given special attention, as it had been ripped out and dissected. Empty eye sockets stared out at Levi with the way the corpse’s neck had fallen. It was impaled with one of his ribs.

Levi had seen far worse. 

Eren seemed uncaring of the blood still drenching his arms. Slow droplets hit the ground every now and then, and added to the utter mess he’d created. "Of course."

Levi's eyes rolled. "Killin' your lungs too, I see. Didn't think you'd be the type to settle for a death like cancer. Too borin'."

"Oh, don't worry about me, I'll go out with a bang."

He stepped around the splatter of blood and gore with an evident disgust. Levi didn't mind getting dirty when doing a job. Otherwise he kept himself as far away from that shit as possible. "Disgustin'," he muttered.

"I know, right?" Eren said, with an almost childlike glee. "I liked him, he stayed alive for so long. It's boring if they die too quickly, I like their reactions when you show them their insides."

"Of course you do," Levi sighed. He gave a slow stretch and rolled his head around. He was glad to be rid of the collar. "I'lll give you one thing, jobs like this are shit when you have to dress like this. There's no room to hide a weapon in leather.” The adrenaline in his system made him more amendable to Eren's earlier attitude, and far more talkative. "You have to wear bullshit like collars to stow away your gear."

"You could always hide it in your ass," Eren commented dryly. He lifted his skirt to show Levi the strap on his upper thigh. It held a gun and a small pink comb. "This is my favorite way to hide them. But I like dressing like this so it's not a problem for me." He shrugged as he finished his cigarette. He crouched down to press it out on his victim’s face.

"I'll pass on shovin' poison up my ass, thanks.” He crossed his arms as the night air began to chill his skin. "Well, kid," he said, as he turned to go. "It was... Well, not nice to see you, but something, at least. I'm sure I'll see you around."

Eren laughed, and gave Levi a wave of his bloody hand. "See you around, honey bunch."

Levi paused at the sight. He debated whether what he was about to do was really a good idea, before he came to the conclusion that no, it wasn’t. He strode over to grab Eren's hand anyways. "Disgustin'," he complained a second time, when his hand came into contact with the cooling blood. He led Eren back to his ride. "For someone whose cover seems so important, you sure are a reckless idiot." He paused at the motorcycle he’d stolen earlier that night. He threw his leg over the seat and fixed Eren with a hard gaze. "Get on—and keep those hands to yourself, I don't need that shit all over me."

Eren giggled. "Aw, are you worried they'll catch me?" He asked, as he followed suit after Levi. 

 "Concern for the psychopath," Levi snorted at the idea. "That's a way to get you killed, I ain't stupid. Consider this a form of payment for takin' care of me even though you were a little shit most of the time."

Eren grinned. He wrapped his arms around Levi's waist, despite Levi’s previous warning. "Well then, Mr. Sexy, consider your payment accepted."

Levi's lip curled as Eren pressed even more blood to his skin. He revved the engine and took off, with little disregard for speed limits. They were a blur through the alleys Levi knew so well, and when they drew close to Eren's house Levi stopped. "I'm guessin' your father wouldn't want to see you with me, so here's your stop, bright eyes."

He hopped off, and pressed a kiss to Levi’s cheek. "See you around.”

Levi sighed as he watched him go. He performed a sharp turn to head back to his apartment. The motorcycle was crashed a few blocks away, and promptly set on fire. Eren had given him little choice when he had gotten blood everywhere.

As soon as he reached his apartment, Levi got to work on scrubbing his skin raw in the shower. When he was satisfied that all traces of filth were gone, he flopped into bed with a deep sigh. He grabbed his phone to dial a familiar—yet hated—number. "Job's done," he said flatly, when the other line picked up. "Send another tomorrow."

He didn’t give Erwin a chance to speak. He hung up, threw his phone onto the floor, and promptly fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated (and give me fodder to edit future chapters) <3

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any questions/concerns about this verse feel free to ask here or on my tumblr @ my101fragiledreams  
> Any updates/extras can also be found there under the tag fic: the dark in us
> 
> Tell us what you thought?


End file.
